Charles Branstetter's Obituary
Charles Oliver Branstetter was born July 11, 1906 west of Hartville, Missouri in the Pleasant Hill Community, to Francis Marion “Frank” and Sarah Alberta “Bertie” Oliver Branstetter. He passed from this life on December 6, 2007 at the Rocky Ridge Manor in Mansfield. His age was 101 years, 4 months, and 25 days. He lived his entire life in Wright County, moving four times always south, for a total of about 10 miles from his birth place. He attended the Pleasant Hill grade school. On December 3, 1933 he married Ollie Marie Marah. To them were born two sons: the Rev. Dr. Paul Dean Branstetter of California, Missouri and Jerry Oliver Branstetter of Marshfield, Missouri. Marie died August 4, 1965 after struggling about twenty years with cancer. On December 26, 1965 he was married to Ruby Ann Burney Newton. She preceded him in death by 10 days on November 26, 2007. He placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior about 1941 and was ordained a deacon at the New Hope Baptist Church. He also served as deacon in the Mission Temple Baptist Church and the First Baptist Churches of Seymour and Mansfield. He was a farmer all his life. He worked on the family farm until he married. He operated a dairy farm on Highway V at Branstetter Road about five miles from Hartville until retirement. He then raised a small herd of beef cattle on a farm on Newton Pass Road. He lived there until 2000 when they moved to Mansfield. Besides operating a dairy farm, he partnered with different brothers in doing several kinds of seasonal farm services for neighbors: shearing goats and sheep in the spring, with Julian he threshed grain, with Francis he baled hay and combined grain in the summer, and with Ray he sawed lumber in the winter. He was active in the community serving several years each on the Pea Ridge school board, the Gasconade township board, the MFA Farmers Exchange board, and the MFA oil board. He was proficient at hunting quail, deer, and turkey and fishing for suckers with grab-hooks and gig. Besides his parents and wives, he was preceded in death by all his siblings: Julian, Vada, Laster, Ray, Francis, and their wives. Also preceding him were all of his brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-laws of both marriages, except one. Also preceding him was step-son-in-law George R. Baumgartner. Surviving him is: son Paul and his wife Marcia, grand-daughter Michele and her husband Patrick King, and great-grandchildren Andrew and Melanie King of Farmington, Missouri; grandson Jason Branstetter and his wife Laura and great-granddaughters Olivia and Megan Branstetter of Jefferson City; son Jerry and his wife Wanda and grandchildren Stephen Branstetter of Los Angeles, California; and Kaylene Matthews of Elkland, Missouri. Also surviving him is step-daughter Marsha Kay Newton Baumgartner of Howell, Michigan, step-grandson, George K. Baumgartner and wife Mary of Trenton, Michigan and step-grandson Alan Baumgartner and wife Linda of Livonia, Michigan; step-great-grandchildren Rachel, George T., Margaret, Pauline and Emily Baumgarter, all of the Dearborn, Michigan area. He was a great example to his family of diligence, honesty, responsibility, integrity, and care. He was a good and helpful neighbor. His stable presence will be missed my many. Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, December 10, 2007, in the Holman-Howe Chapel, Mansfield. Burial will be in the Steele Memorial Cemetery, Hartville. Visitation will be held Sunday from 2 - 3:00 p.m. under the direction of Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Mansfield, Missouri. Return to top
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